COLUMBUS – Ohio State coach Urban Meyer cited the offensive line as his chief concern following spring practice.

Those concerns may be lessened a bit this week. Various sources are reporting Alabama center Chad Lindsay will transfer to Ohio State. As a graduate student who has already earned his diploma, Lindsay will be eligible to play immediately, with the 2014 season his final year of eligibility.

Lindsay, a 6-foot-2, 302-pounder, participated in eight games last season for the Crimson Tide, starting four.

OSU has yet to confirm Lindsay’s transfer, but it has been reported at ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, along with numerous Ohio State-oriented websites.

Lindsay figures to plug into the middle while joining returning starters Taylor Decker, a junior at tackle, and redshirt sophomore Pat Elflein at guard. The Buckeyes are trying to replace four starters along the offensive line — Jack Mewhort, Corey Linsley, Andrew Norwell and Marcus Hall. That group was the strength of a 12-2 team that went undefeated during the Big Ten regular season.

UNDER THE LIGHTS: Ohio State will play four regular season games at night for the first time in program history in 2014. The Big Ten Network revealed its slate of eight prime time night games for the upcoming season and Ohio State’s home game against Cincinnati on Sept. 27 has been selected to start at 6 p.m.

This game time also represents the third night game at Ohio Stadium in 2014 — another first. Previously, ABC/ESPN chose Ohio State games at home against Virginia Tech, at Penn State and home vs. Illinois as prime time affairs on its networks with 8 p.m. starts.

Ohio State is officially 39-22 in night games (those starting after 5 p.m. local time). Ohio State is 29-19 in night games played on the road (20-10) or at a neutral site (9-9), and 10-3 in Ohio Stadium night games. (Those records reflect vacated night game wins in 2010: Marshall, at Minnesota and vs. Arkansas).

The Cincinnati game also will be live streamed on BTN2GO.

The teams last met in 2006 at OSU, with the Buckeyes pounding the Bearcats 37-7. UC will receive $888,246 to play the Buckeyes this season.